Whatever Happened To Ferlin Husky?

My dad loved Ernest Tubb more than any other Country Music Artist. Well, actually more than any other artist, period!

But the three songs he loved most were not Ernest Tubb Classic's. Nope.

My Dad, born in 1920 and passed away in January 2007 had these three as his all time favorites:

Dolly Parton and 'Coat Of Many Colors'.

Roy Acuff and 'The Great Speckled Bird'.

And probably his all time favorite was Ferlin Husky and the song featured below, 'Wings Of A Dove'.

For my Pa, 'Wings of a Dove was one of those songs that, whenever he heard it, he'd turn that radio up just a little bit more. And don't we all have songs like that?

So whatever happened to Ferlin Husky?

Well, five years younger than my Dad, Ferlin was born in 1925 in Missouri. Actually named 'Furland', his name was misspelled on his birth certificate, so he was forever Ferlin. The son of a farmer (huh, just like my Dad!), Ferlin dropped out of high school, moved to St. Louis and played in bars around town while working during the day.

Following service in World War II, continued his music career and developed a character based on a neighbor of his. Yep, it was early on Ferlin Husky's alter comedic ego emerged. His name was Simon Crum. In the clip below (and in his much later years) Ferlin talks about his 'friend' Simon Crum.

In the early to mid 1950's Husky had a number of huge country hits, including an early duet hit with Jean Shepard, 'A Dear John Letter'. And one of his biggest came in 1957. 'Gone' was not only a #1 country smash, it was a Top Five Pop hit as well and Ferlin Husky became known to millions around the world.

In addition to a stellar television career, it was in 1960 that Ferlin had his biggest hit. 'Wings Of A Dove' topped the country chart's for 10 solid weeks. Apparently my Dad wasn't the only one who loved that song!

Inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2010, Ferlin died of congestive heart failure March 17, 2011 at the age of 85.